The House Fly: Synanthropic Behavior Enhances Vector Competency

摘要

Flies are a specialized group of insects that inhabit a variety of environmental niches. Although most are beneficial, a select few are pestiferous to humans and their animals. Pest species have become adapted to living closely with humans and are termed synanthropic flies. These flies benefit from the shelter, food and developmental sites provided by humans. Sometimes these factors are contaminated with pathogens that can be transferred by the flies to uncontaminated substrates causing debilitatingsymptoms in humans and animals contacting these pathogens. The fly most recognized as a nuisance and vector of pathogens is the house fly, Musca domestica (L). One way to avoid the potential contamination problems associated with house flies is to learnmore about their biology, ecology and behavior.